Effects of Peer-to-Peer Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Training in Adolescents
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21645089 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Talia Puzantian (0000-0002-3784-5993, Keck Graduate Institute, corresponding author), Oliver Atkinson (La Salle University), Joel Solomon (0000-0002-7906-8993, La Salle University), Jian Liu (0000-0002-1447-0973, La Salle University), E Parga (La Salle College Preparatory CARLOW Center for Medical Innovation), Eva Bassas Parga (La Salle University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 1892-1896 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-15 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Substance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10826084.2025.2522150 |
| PMID | 40536827 |
| OpenAlex | W4411448693 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
Background Adolescent overdose deaths have increased significantly, with an average of 22 American teens dying weekly in 2022. Despite evidence-based interventions to mitigate these deaths, few preventive interventions have been investigated and widely adopted for this age group.Methods A population-based sample of high school students in Los Angeles County participated in peer-delivered training between November 2023 and March 2024. Topics covered included trends in overdose deaths particularly in adolescents, defining opioids including fentanyl, recognizing overdose, and responding with naloxone. Participants completed an anonymous online pre-post survey which evaluated knowledge, attitudes and confidence regarding opioids, overdose and naloxone.Results 206 students (mean age 16.0 years; 50.0% male, 47.6% female) participated in 15 training sessions and completed both pre- and post-training surveys. Students’ knowledge, measured as percentage of correct responses, increased from a mean of 34.0% to 78.9% (95% CI −6% to 5%; p < 0.0001). Students’ attitudes, scored on a scale of 1–4 (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree, 4 = strongly agree), improved from a mean score of 2.98 to 3.52 (95% CI −0.09 to 0.10; p < 0.0001). Confidence, rated on a scale of 1–4 (1 = very low, 2 = low, 3 = high, 4 = very high), improved from a mean score of 1.97 to 3.17 (95% CI −0.11 to 0.11; p < 0.0001).Conclusions Peer-to-peer overdose and naloxone training significantly increases knowledge, improves attitudes, and raises confidence in adolescents. There is a clear need to increase overdose awareness in adolescents and peers should be incorporated into prevention efforts
Anesthesia · Confidence interval · Environmental health · Fentanyl · Opioid · Opioid overdose · Population · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Gun Ownership and Violence Research · Medicine · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies · Internal Medicine
Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States
Substance Use Patterns and Characteristics Using Real World Data from Adolescents Assessed for Substance Use and Treatment Planning-United States, 2017–2021
How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project Dare outcome evaluations
| Highly cited | No |
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